Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have withdrawn from the National Bank Open, the ATP Masters 1000 tournament set to begin in Montreal on 2 August. Their late decisions, announced on Friday, follow the earlier withdrawal of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz due to a persistent wrist injury. With the top three players in the world absent, Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime are now expected to be the top two seeds.

Sinner, the world number one, said in a statement that after careful evaluation with his team, he made the “difficult decision” to withdraw in order to “prioritize my health.” No specific reason was given for Djokovic’s withdrawal. Tournament director Valérie Tétreault expressed disappointment, noting that both players had also missed the tournament’s Toronto edition last year. “We believe that the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in recent years raises a broader issue for our sport,” she said, adding that Masters 1000 events are flagship tournaments and fans “legitimately expect to see the best players in the world.”

Tétreault confirmed that discussions with the ATP are already underway, arguing that “adjustments are necessary in the near future to better protect the integrity of our Masters 1000, while taking into account the reality of the athletes.” The withdrawals reshape a field that organisers had expected to include 71 of the world’s top 72 players. For Sinner, the decision interrupts a streak of six consecutive Masters 1000 titles, including all five he contested in 2026, according to Italian press reports.

The Italian contingent in Montreal will include Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Musetti, Luciano Darderi, Matteo Arnaldi, Matteo Berrettini, Mattia Bellucci and Lorenzo Sonego. Sinner last played in Canada in 2024, reaching the quarter-finals in Montreal, while Djokovic has not appeared at the Canadian Open since 2018. The hard-court swing continues with the Cincinnati Masters from 13 August, followed by the US Open starting 31 August.